


Everything's Better Down Where It's Wetter

by Zetal (Rodinia)



Series: Yuri on Ice Fantasy Week [4]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: M/M, Merfolk AU, Shapeshifting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-09
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2019-01-31 04:23:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12674340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rodinia/pseuds/Zetal
Summary: Adventures of merfolk - this is a collection of loosely related stories set in the same merverse.





	1. Seungchuchu - The Mysterious Swimmer

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Phayte](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phayte/gifts).



> Gifted to Phayte because she's awesome and loves this 'verse so much. <3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seung Gil gets curious about the swim team star he tutors. Phichit clearly doesn't need help to do his homework, so why can't he pass without a tutor?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally written for Seungchuchu Week May 2017 Day 4: Magic & Mystique
> 
> Prompts: mythology/folklore, urban fantasy

There was something fishy about Phichit, and Seung Gil was determined to find out what. No one could be that happy all the time. No one could look that good all the time. No one could have the energy he did all the time.

Phichit was terrible at school. It wasn’t that he was stupid, as Seung Gil found out the first day he met Phichit for tutoring sessions. The swim coach had gotten very frustrated when Phichit couldn’t keep his grades afloat, Seung Gil needed community service hours for NHS, it seemed like a perfect match. No, Phichit wasn’t stupid. He just did not care about school – except for swimming.

At least for Seung Gil he would try. It seemed he liked Seung Gil. And that was just another odd thing about this already odd boy. There were a lot of jocks who pretended to like Seung Gil in the hopes that he would help them with their work or do it for them. With Phichit, it seemed like the opposite was true. He pretended to need help with his work to get Seung Gil to spend time with him.

“Why do you do this?” Seung Gil asked one day as he sat back watching Phichit devour goldfish crackers and fly through his chemistry homework. “You clearly don’t need me to help you, so why not just do this so you don’t have to be here?”

Phichit threw a goldfish at Seung Gil. “I can’t work at home. My dad doesn’t let me go out except for school and swim team. Being in tutoring is a loophole I can use to get around that. Besides.” Phichit smirked at him. “Are you really complaining about the world’s easiest community service hours?”

“Why can’t you work at home? Just… hide from your dad or something?”

“My dad’s not the problem with working at home, it’s just that the environment is horrible for doing homework.” Phichit threw another goldfish at Seung Gil. “Just trust me. I don’t even take my books home.”

“You don’t…” Seung Gil shook his head. “Why won’t your dad let you go places?”

Phichit shrugged. “It’s ‘not safe’ for me to be away from home for too long. Even swim team, he keeps threatening to make me quit because he doesn’t think it’s healthy for me to be in chlorinated water that long.”

“Chlorinated water is bad…?” Seung Gil had always thought that chlorinated water was better than unchlorinated. Less fish poop and bacteria and the like.

“It is for us. There’s a reason I swim the clumsy way instead of the good way.” Phichit paused in consideration. “Actually the good way would probably be against the rules and get me disqualified anyway, so there’s two reasons.”

“Oh. I see.”

“No you don’t.” Phichit grinned. “If you’re up for an adventure, I can show you, though! Dad finally said yes when I asked if I could invite you to come see why I am the way I am.”

Obviously, Phichit was exaggerating. It wasn’t an adventure to go to someone’s home. Seung Gil was curious, though, so he agreed to do it. Phichit handed him a necklace. “You’ll need this.”

“Okay…” Seung Gil took the necklace and put it on.

 

Phichit insisted on Seung Gil leaving his bag in Phichit’s locker. Seung Gil didn’t understand, but he went with it. When Phichit walked him to the beach, though, he started getting a little skeptical. When Phichit found a cave and left his clothes and shoes on a rock inside, and encouraged Seung Gil to do the same, Seung Gil got a lot skeptical. 

“One thing you should know before we go… I’m adopted. You’ll notice I look nothing like my father or my siblings. Well, Viktor’s my brother by marriage and Yuri and Mila are his brother and sister, but still, I don’t look like Guang Hong or Yuuri. Yes, my brother married a guy who has a brother with a very similar name, if it’s too confusing, Blond Yuri can be Yurio.”

“Um, okay…?” Seung Gil was ready to admit that he thought Phichit was absolutely crazy. Then again, he’d never seen any of Phichit’s family.

“Ready?” Seung Gil nodded. He was lying, but he was also aware that he would probably never be ready and that just getting the crazy over with was probably the best thing for everyone. Phichit waded out into the ocean, and when the water reached his hips, he dove.

The smart thing to do here, of course, was to turn around, put his clothes on, break into Phichit’s locker, take his bag and leave the necklace, and then go home and forget this ever happened. He had all the hours he needed for NHS. He never had to deal with Phichit again. Just this once, though, Seung Gil decided not to do the smart thing. He dove.

 

Phichit took Seung Gil to an underwater castle. Seung Gil gasped in surprise when he looked over – and saw Phichit’s legs were gone, replaced by a long red and gold tail. It then occurred to him that he was somehow breathing the water just fine. Phichit grinned. “Took you long enough! When Guang Hong brought Leo down for the first time, he noticed the second Guang Hong changed.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I’m a merperson. My whole family is. Come in, meet my dad.”

Phichit was not just a merperson. He was a merprince. Celestino was the king of the local merkingdom. His oldest son, Yuuri, married Viktor, the oldest son of Yakov, king of another merkingdom. Yakov had gotten mad because Viktor ran off to do it, but they’d made up. There were two other people there with legs. Phichit introduced them as Leo, Guang Hong’s boyfriend, and Otabek, Yurio’s… “I have no idea what they are. They swear they’re not dating, Yurio’s too young for that, but Yurio nearly destroyed the local fish ecology when he thought Otabek was flirting with Mila. Which, incidentally, is how we found out Mila has a girlfriend. Sara’s a mermaid. She’s not here right now.”

“And this is why you can’t do your homework at home.”

“And why chlorinated water is bad for me, and why Dad won’t let me stay out. Too much time away from the saltwater and I’d lose my ability to change back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized when it was way too late that I should've made Seung Gill the merpeep. Whoops.


	2. Seungchuchu - Earning Approval

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seung Gil adjusts to life with a merman friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted as part of Seungchuchu Week October 2017 Day 5: Fantasy/Mythology

Seung Gil was not the kind of guy who normally spent time in the water. He could swim, but not well, and until he’d met Phichit, he never really thought much of the idea of jumping into water and having to figure out how to breathe or navigate or see. Then he’d fallen in with Phichit, and suddenly, he was spending hours under the water at his friend’s underwater palace.

The first day, Celestino had been skeptical about Seung Gil. Phichit had tried to reassure him. “Don’t take it personally, he was like this when Leo and Otabek first came in too, he doesn’t trust surfacers.”

“Why not?”

Phichit rolled his eyes. “Because surfacers tend to either not believe in us, exploit us, or try to kill us. You’re different, and Dad’ll give you the chance to prove it, but he’s starting off skeptical.”

“How did Leo and Otabek get approval?”

“Dad’s still not sure about Otabek, but since Yakov had already given approval for Otabek to come around, he didn’t feel like he could say no when Yuri brought him here. Leo saved Guang Hong from getting stuck human. Guang Hong didn’t exactly ask permission to bring Leo down either, but considering Leo had just accepted it when Guang Hong told him he was a merman and needed to get to the ocean, and brought him out, Dad couldn’t get too mad.”

“So nothing useful for how I could do it.”

“Yeah. Sorry. He doesn’t even really care that you’re saving my grades, he doesn’t like that I’m going to a human school.”

“Why are you? If Guang Hong and Yuri aren’t.”

“I like humans. Dad’s a total softie and as long as I promise to be careful and come back as soon as I can and make sure I shower really thoroughly after being in chlorinated water before I come home, he’ll let me go. He wasn’t surprised I made a friend, but he’s going to be skeptical for a while. Just give him time.”

“You have lots of friends. Am I the only one you’ve brought here?”

“Yeah.”

“Does that mean you like me as more than a friend? You said Leo is Guang Hong’s boyfriend and Otabek is Yuri’s.”

“Well, yeah, I do. If you’re not interested that’s fine, friendship is good, but I do want more.”

“Hmm. I need to think about this. I like you, but with you being a merman, I’m not sure I want to deal with that. I’m not a very good swimmer.”

“Oh, sure! That’s why I didn’t ask you out before asking you here. Not exactly fair, leading you on and then springing something like this on you.”

“No, it’s really not.”

 

Several weeks later, Seung Gil had gotten accustomed to diving. Thanks to the necklace, he didn’t need Phichit with him if he wanted to go down, but he didn’t see much point in going unless Phichit would be there.

When Phichit didn’t show up for school one day, Seung Gil didn’t worry. Everyone missed days. When he didn’t show up again the next day, Seung Gil decided to go to Celestino’s kingdom and check on him. Yuuri met him at the palace boundary. “It’s good to see you. Come in.”

“Is Phichit here?”

“He is. Dad wants to talk to you first, but then I’ll take you to see him.”

Seung Gil hadn’t dealt much with Celestino. He tried not to be nervous as he walked in.

Celestino looked up from the report he was reading. “You’re here.”

“You sound surprised.”

“I wasn’t expecting you. You usually only come with Phichit.”

“Everyone misses a day of school here or there, but Phichit missed two in a row. I wanted to check on him.”

“He’s sick, and while it’s nothing too bad, he won’t recover if he shifts to legs. I know my son too well to think he’d stay out of the pool, and the chlorine will only make it worse.” Celestino put a hand on Seung Gil’s shoulder. “I’m glad you came. Phichit was hoping you would.”

“I’m glad I came too.”

“You’re welcome here any time you want to come. Phichit likes you a great deal, and you’ve shown your character.”

“Thank you.”

Yuuri took him to Phichit then. Phichit clapped. “Yuri! You lose!”

Yuri swore and left the room. Seung Gil watched him go and then turned back. “What was that?”

“Yuri bet that you wouldn’t show up until I went back to school. I thought you’d come check on me by tomorrow. Now Yuri has to go tell Otabek that he likes him.”

“Is that a good idea?”

“What, confessing, or betting a confession? Confessing is a great idea. Everyone but Yuri knows that Otabek’s head over heels in love. Betting, no, but he agreed to it easily enough. Not my fault he doesn’t know you.”

“What did you have to do if he won?”

“Confess to you. Which you already know how I feel, so if I lost, no big deal.”

Seung Gil chuckled at that. Phichit was a little devil when he wanted to be. “Your dad’s decided I’m probably okay and can have the same access to this place as Leo and Otabek.”

“Good.”

“I’ve gotten a lot more used to coming down here, too. I want to be your boyfriend. Can I?”

“Of course!” Phichit threw his arms around Seung Gil.


	3. Seungchuchu - Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the spring equinox and love is in the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally written for Seungchuchu Week October 2017 Day 7: Beach/Festival

Seung Gil was freezing. The downside of dating a merman – they didn’t think about human intolerance to cold. It was pre-dawn, March 20th, and his boyfriend’s family was due to arrive on the beach any minute. It was an equinox festival, which apparently they took seriously.

“Hey.” Seung Gil turned to see Otabek there. “You cold too?”

“Yeah."

"Have you been to one of these before?”

Otabek shrugged. “Not with Celestino. Last couple years with Yakov.”

“How long have you and Yuri been together?”

“Define together. We’ve been friends of a sort since Yura was barely old enough to take legs and come onto land. Boyfriends is new. Less time than you and Phichit.”

“What’s this like with Yakov?”

“Fun. Land food, music, dancing, enjoying the sun. No idea how Celestino’s going to be different.”

“Do they show up dressed?”

Otabek smiled. “No. Phichit’s showed you the cave?” Seung Gil nodded. They’d gone there the very first time Phichit had brought him home, before Seung Gil even knew what they were. “They have clothes stored there, if they feel like getting dressed. They may or may not.”

Just then, the water rippled and the merfamily walked out with Leo. Seung Gil didn’t even pretend not to be staring at Phichit. Phichit noticed and started showing off a little. Celestino shot him a look, and Phichit feigned contrition before shooting a wink at Seung Gil once Celestino turned his attention elsewhere. “Hey. Here, take this, I meant to give it to you yesterday but we got a little distracted.” Phichit held out a rock set on a small chain. Seung Gil took it and stared at it in confusion. Phichit took it back. “Here.” He strung the chain around the necklace Seung Gil wore, that let him breathe underwater, and Seung Gil no longer felt the cold. “Sorry for the wait. Forgive me?”

“I was going to suggest you warm me up, but this is not exactly what I had in mind.”

Phichit laughed and wrapped his arms around Seung Gil. “Well. No reason I can’t help out!”

“Yes, there is.” Yuri kicked Seung Gil. “We have a sunrise to watch.”

Phichit let go of Seung Gil, walked around to stand behind him, and put his arms back around his boyfriend’s waist to watch over his shoulder. “See? No reason at all.” Phichit stuck his tongue out at Yuri.

“Ugh. You two are going to be just as bad as the lovebirds, aren’t you.” Yuri made a face and went over to Otabek, who whispered something that made Yuri smile and blush.

Seung Gil leaned back into Phichit’s embrace. “Which ones are the lovebirds?”

“Probably Viktor and Yuuri, but who knows. Leo and Guang Hong are less sexy about it but I’ve seen them turn water into syrup by the power of their sweetness. Mila and Sara are just plain adorable, but Yuri complains about them all the time, too.” Phichit pointed to where Yuri had flopped down in the sand, with Otabek sitting on his legs giving him a backrub. “Looks like they’re going to be bad, too. I cannot wait for Viktor and Yuuri to start getting him back.”

“And your dad doesn’t mind all this love around him?”

“Not like he could do much about it with Mila and Yuri, they don't really answer to him, and the few times anyone’s tried to stop Viktor and Yuuri from being affectionate with each other they’ve just gotten a million times worse.” Phichit looked out to sea. “His girlfriend’s not around much, but when she is… the rest of us clear out. She should be here soon. You’ll get to see.”

“Should we clear out?”

“Not right away. Clear out when the wine comes out.”

A woman climbed out of the ocean and walked straight into Celestino’s arms. There was a long kiss. “Oh, is that Phichit’s boy? He’s cute.”

Phichit let go of Seung Gil enough to walk him over to Celestino. “Minako, this is Seung Gil, my boyfriend. Seung Gil, this is Celestino’s girlfriend Minako.”

“Hi.”

Minako hugged him. “I’m sure Yuuri’s told you this, but we’re all so happy that Phichit finally found someone! He makes friends so easily, but finding someone who loves him like this? It’s amazing.”

“So I’ve heard. I don’t understand why. He’s so easy to love. Not like me.”

Phichit swatted his arm. “You’re loveable. I love you.”

“You’re special.” Of course… if Phichit loved him, why hadn’t he kissed him yet? It obviously wasn’t a merthing as Yuri and Otabek were ignoring the sunrise to make out, as were Yuuri and Viktor.

Phichit seemed to read his mind. “Come on.” He led Seung Gil off away from everyone else. “I love you.”

“I know. I love you too.”

“I’ve just been waiting for today. Merthing – things that begin at sunrise today last. Yuri doesn’t care and Otabek’s human, but I do.” Phichit glanced over his shoulder, where the sun finally came above the horizon. Phichit turned back to Seung Gil, pulling him into a long kiss.


	4. Leoji - Save Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo goes for a walk and finds a cute boy in need of help. Leo provides.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally written for Halloween Week 2017 Day 2 - Shapeshifting
> 
> Warning: there is a brief reference to suicide.

Of all the things Leo expected to find when he went for a walk after school, a cute boy curled up in a fetal position trying to keep from shaking himself apart was probably very low on the list. And yet, there he was. Adorable with freckles, but completely terrified. Leo crouched beside him. “Hi. I’m Leo. Can you tell me what’s wrong?”

“I’m Guang Hong. I need to get home, but I’m not sure I can get there on my own.” Guang Hong wiped a tear from his eyes. “I can already feel my bones starting to solidify, and if I don’t get home soon, I won’t ever be able to go back again.”

Leo had no idea what the thing about the bones meant, but getting home? He understood that part. “Where do you live?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

Leo reached out and put a hand on Guang Hong’s arm. “Try me. Tell me where to take you.”

Guang Hong stared at him, but eventually, his fear of being trapped overcame whatever was keeping him from talking. “I’m a merboy. I live in the ocean. Once I get back in the saltwater, I’ll be all right, I can get the rest of the way home from there, but I don’t think I can get back to the ocean in time. Not when I’m already struggling just to stand up.”

Leo didn’t quite believe him, but then again, what would Guang Hong have to gain by telling such an incredible lie? If Leo took him out to the ocean and he was lying, it just delayed him getting to his real home that much more. “All right. If I help you up, do you think you can walk long enough to get to my car?”

Guang Hong nodded. Leo took hold of his arm and helped him up, and let Guang Hong lean on him as they walked back out of the park. Guang Hong was shaky and weak, and seemed to struggle with walking more than just being tired or hungry or sick would imply. Like a merman who wasn’t used to legs, perhaps. He got Guang Hong into the passenger seat of his car and helped him put on the seat belt. It was like he’d never been in a car before – which, if he was telling the truth, he probably hadn’t.

Leo kept an eye on Guang Hong as he drove. It was only about a ten-minute drive, which was good, because the merman was a lot paler and shakier even in that time. At the beach, Leo picked him up and carried him to the ocean. “Should I just… throw you in?”

Guang Hong smiled. “Not just yet. Set me down.”

Leo did so. He was a bit surprised when Guang Hong started stripping off his shoes and his pants. Once he was naked from the waist down, he crawled out to the water. As soon as he was touching the salt water, he recovered some color, and he crawled faster until he could dive into the water. Leo watched carefully, in case Guang Hong was lying and was going to need help. It occurred to him only now that he may have just helped the boy kill himself. Leo took off his own shoes and jeans and waded out. “Guang Hong?”

Guang Hong popped up. His shirt was soaked and clinging to him, but he looked a million times better. “I’m okay! You got me here in time. Do you have plans for the day?”

“Not really.” He’d planned to spend the day with his guitar after his walk, but if Guang Hong wanted to hang out, he could do that.

“Good. If you’ll give me about ten minutes, there’s something I want to show you. You might want to take your shirt off before it gets too wet, though.” Guang Hong disappeared again. Leo waded back to shore to change into the swimsuit he kept in his car in summer, in case of impromptu beach parties.

When Guang Hong came back, he handed Leo a necklace. “This is charmed so that as long as you’re wearing it, you’ll be able to breathe like we do, and it can’t come off accidentally.” Leo put it on and followed Guang Hong out into the water. The necklace worked as Guang Hong had promised, and also kept the salt water out of his eyes. Now that he was underwater, he could see the long tail Guang Hong had changed to. It was beautiful, mostly a bright magenta with some green and gold iridescence. Guang Hong noticed him staring and blushed. “Come on. I want to introduce you to my family. Dad will probably be mad, he doesn’t trust surfacers, but you did save me. That’s gotta count for something!”

Leo followed Guang Hong to a beautiful underwater mansion. They were greeted by a merman with a long ponytail, who swam up to Guang Hong and hugged him. “Where the hell have you been? We’ve been so worried!”

“I got lost, and I was struggling to get back. Leo found me and got me here. Dad, he saved my life, I don’t think I could have made it on my own.” Guang Hong pulled away and turned to Leo. “This is my father, Celestino. These are his waters.”

Celestino stared hard at Leo. “Why did you do it?”

“Save Guang Hong? Because he needed help and I could provide it.” Why else?

“So you didn’t do it to demand a reward?”

Oh. Right. The thought hadn't even occurred to him. “The only reward I want is knowing that Guang Hong will be okay. It would be nice if we could be friends, but it seems like going to the surface is dangerous for him, and I know I’m not exactly welcome down here.”

Celestino hummed softly. “Guang Hong, you know you’re not supposed to bring surfacers here. Why did you?”

“He saved my life! Most humans don’t believe in merpeople. When I told him where to take me, I’m not sure Leo believed me either, but he did it. Most people would have taken me to a surfacer hospital, or left me. I like him, Dad. A lot.”

“Then Leo, you’re wrong. You are welcome here. Your actions speak for your character. You’re free to come and go as you please, as long as you keep the secret.”


	5. Otayuri - Ariel's Curse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A long, long time ago, there was a mermaid who fell in love with a surfacer prince. She abandoned the sea to go live on the land. There was a terrible price to pay, which she accepted.
> 
> When Otabek was a young boy, he was always drawn to the beach. His parents enrolled him in swimming lessons, but he couldn't seem to manage even the simplest things. His grandmother enrolled him in another teacher's lessons, which failed as well - but his new instructor recommended him to a third. Under Yakov's tutelage, Otabek learned how to swim, and found that his love of the beach had always been a love of the ocean, instead.
> 
> After his last lesson, Yakov told him that he would come back when Otabek was sixteen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally written for Halloween Week 2017 Day 7 - Folklore/Free Day

Otabek’s eyes got huge as he watched Yakov Feltsman approach. He hadn’t seen the man in years, and had hoped not to be remembered. It was clear Yakov was there to see him, though, as he marched over to Otabek’s station along with a replacement lifeguard. “Hello, Otabek.”

“Hello, Mr. Feltsman.” Otabek climbed down from the chair, letting Emil take over.

“Good, you remember me.” Yakov turned and started walking off, clearing expecting Otabek to follow.

Otabek, of course, did. He hated himself for it - he could try running - but he was just curious enough about what Yakov wanted to go along. “Of course I remember you, sir. You taught me to swim when it looked like I was going to be a hopeless case.”

“Yes, that’s right. Your prior instructor said that you were so dense that there was no doing anything with you, and I thought she was wrong. You proved yourself.”

“With a little help. I don’t know if you meant it as humiliation or motivation, but bringing in that younger boy worked to make me work harder than I’d thought possible.” He could still see the boy’s judgmental face staring out from the angelic golden hair. “What brings you here now?”

“When you were six, I promised I would come back when you were sixteen and offer you an opportunity. You’re sixteen now.”

He’d been sixteen for over half a year. He’d thought – hoped, even – that Yakov had forgotten that promise. That had been naïve – it almost certainly had more to do with the fact that Otabek had moved away with his parents when his dad got a job two thousand miles away, and had only just come back for the summer. “I remember. What’s the opportunity?”

“Do you believe in merfolk, Otabek?”

The question threw Otabek, and it took him a couple tries to begin to respond. “Um… I’ve heard the stories, my grandfather swears he had a mermaid girlfriend when he was young, but I’ve never known what to believe. If merfolk exist, they don’t want us to know about them.”

“You’re right about that. You surfacers don’t exactly have the best record when it comes to dealing with people who don’t look or act like you do. We prefer to keep to ourselves, avoid conflict with the surface folk, and live our lives in peace.”

“We? Are you merfolk, then?” Yakov certainly didn't look like Otabek had ever imagined the merfolk to look, but why should he?

“I am. And that boy you admired so much is my youngest son, Yuri.”

“Well. That explains why he was such a good swimmer.” Otabek felt a little betrayed by that revelation. If he’d known he was competing against someone whose native environment was the sea, he wouldn’t have been so upset at the younger boy’s greater competence. “Why are you telling me this?”

“My son hasn’t stopped nagging me about finding you since this time last year. The opportunity I’m offering you means that you’d need to know about us.” Yakov cleared his throat. “Besides, it’s only fair.”

“Why?”

“Your father can’t swim at all, can he?”

“No. None of my brothers or sisters can, either. I’ve tried to teach Dariya, but I’m not you.” He'd wanted to share his love of the ocean with Dariya, but all he'd ended up doing was getting her so scared of the water it was months before she could take a bath without ten minutes of mental preparation first and someone there with her just in case.

“No. It would have to be me, or one of my children. Have you ever wondered why I would choose to teach you, and only you and one other?”

Otabek shrugged. “I was the hopeless case. Anya could teach the rest of them.”

“True, but not the whole story. She’s asked a few times before, but I always refuse. You were different.”

“Why?”

“Because of who you are. More importantly, because of who your grandmother is.”

“Huh?” What did his grandmother have to do with anything? She never went near the ocean.

“You said your grandfather once had a mermaid girlfriend. The story is true, but incomplete. The mermaid chose to abandon the sea for her love, to live among surfacers as one of them. She made that choice for herself and her children. Her children would never be able to swim at all, especially not in the sea. Her grandchildren, however, are a different story.”

“None of us but me can swim.” Not his brothers and sisters, not his cousins. He was the only one, and he'd always been considered the family weirdo for even wanting to continue lessons after failing so badly at first.

“The curse on you could be broken, if one of us chose to teach you to swim. I taught you, so your curse is broken." Oh. Well then. Otabek was just about to thank him for that when he continued, "That gift comes with a cost, though. If you don’t come home by your next birthday, you’ll never be able to enter the water again.”

Now Otabek felt sick. “So when you say opportunity…”

“I mean that I want you to come home.”

He'd called it home, twice now. Otabek had to ask the obvious question. “Am I related to you somehow?”

“Me, no. Your grandmother was my wife’s aunt, so you are, distantly, related to my children. Not closely enough that it makes any difference to anyone.”

“Huh. So it’s accept your offer or lose one of the things that means the most to me – the water.” Neither choice was particularly appealing. Going with Yakov meant seeing Yuri again, and he'd be around the water as much as he could possibly want, but what about his family here on land? But losing the water made him feel like he was suffocating.

“Yes.”

Otabek nodded once, and then turned and walked away. He wasn’t sure he could trust Yakov – the man had just admitted to tricking him when he was a boy, after all. There was one person who could help. He went to find his grandmother.

His grandmother gave him a sad smile. “So it’s happened, then? King Yakov came for you?”

“ _King_ Yakov?”

“He didn’t mention that? Well. Yes. He’s one of the most powerful rulers under the sea.”

“Oh." No wonder he felt like he could play with lives like that. "Yes, he told me that I need to come with him if I ever want to swim again.”

“Ariel’s Curse. I don’t regret it at all. I’d do it again. I loved your grandfather, and our children have good lives here on the surface. You, though, I could tell from the time you were born that your heart belonged to the sea. That’s why I put you in Anya’s class." The corner of her mouth twitched up. "Did the king happen to mention that Anya is his daughter-in-law?”

“No. No, he did not. I get the sense there’s a lot he didn’t tell me.”

“I told your parents this day would come. That’s why you suddenly moved as far from the sea as your father could get you, trying to protect you from this. Now, though, he sees what I see, that keeping you from the ocean would be cruel. You’ll be able to come back and visit, but you won’t be able to stay." She wrapped him up in a long hug, and Otabek clung to her. Even if this was her fault, for the choice she'd made, she was still his grandmother and he loved her. "It’s your choice, dear, but if you want my opinion, I think you should go. Everything happens for a reason. There is a reason you were born with the sea in your blood, alone of all my grandchildren.”

Yuri came with Yakov the next day. He was older now, fourteen or so, and his hair had grown out a bit, but those eyes were the same as ever. This time, though, Otabek was older and more secure in himself. He met those eyes that had once made him feel judged unworthy, and watched as the boy’s face slowly softened – and then suddenly broke out in a smile. Yuri held out a necklace. “You’ll need this for now. After a week, you shouldn’t anymore. Come on.” Otabek hesitated to take the necklace, and Yuri’s scowl started to creep back in. “Are you coming or not?”

Otabek took the necklace and put it on. Yuri’s directness appealed to him. “I’m coming.”

 

For the next two years, Yuri and Otabek were inseparable. When Yakov’s oldest son married into the southern kingdom, ruled by Celestino Cialdini, Yakov sent Mila and Yuri with him, and Yuri, of course, brought Otabek. Celestino was not pleased. “What’s a surfacer doing here?”

“That surfacer is my best friend and if he’s not welcome here, I’m going home,” Yuri snarled. “You can trust him.” Yuri reached up and touched the cross necklace he wore.

Celestino looked at him in confusion, but then he noticed that Otabek didn’t have a necklace. His eyebrows shot up. “I see. Otabek, you are welcome here. Do you have family back on land?”

“Yes. They know where and what I am and that I’m not going to be visiting very often unless Yuri and I move back north.”

“All right, then. Come on in.”

 

When Otabek got back from his fishing trip, Guang Hong warned him that Yuri was in a foul temper. Sense dictated that Otabek steer clear, wait for him to calm down. Otabek had never been all that strong on sense, though, not where his best friend was concerned. He went to find Yuri.

The room was a mess, shells and leaves and catfish art strewn all over. Yuri looked up from the pillow he was beating when he heard the door open. “Beka! Finally.”

“Who are we plotting revenge on?”

“Phichit and Seung Gil.”

“Seung Gil? He’s here? I didn’t think he’d come by himself.”

“Apparently he missed his boyfriend too much. They told Celestino they’re officially dating now.”

Otabek chuckled. “I bet he was thrilled, although really, we all saw it coming with Phichit. Two out of three sons dating surfacers, though…”

“Yeah, he’s not exactly happy, but he was pretty sure this was gonna happen once he decided to let Phichit go to a human school. Anyway, that’s not why I’m so wound up, it’s just backstory.”

“Okay. Why are you wound up?”

“I made a bet with Phichit – Seung Gil had three days to show up, or I won. If I won, Phichit had to confess to Seung Gil.”

Otabek crossed his arms. This was not going to end well, but he had to inform Yuri of the flaw in his plan. “You do know they’d already talked about it, don’t you? Phichit was just not pushing the issue while Seung Gil worked through the pros and cons of dating a merman.”

Yuri smacked his tail fin against the bed. “Seriously? I am going to kill him!”

Otabek came over and grabbed the tail, holding it still until Yuri's rage calmed down. “So he won. What do you have to do?”

Now Yuri went very still. “Beka, we’ve known each other for years. Your friendship means a lot to me, so I’m really hoping this isn’t going to fuck it up and have you bolting back north.”

“I’m not leaving you. Whatever this is about, it cannot be bad enough to make me leave you, I promise.” Part of Otabek was hoping. If Phichit had to confess to Seung Gil, Yuri might have to confess. Another part was fearing that Yuri was about to say he had a girlfriend or boyfriend, or that he was confessing to someone other than him.

“Okay." Yuri still wouldn't meet his eyes, but he managed to stammer out, "I like you. A lot. More than just friendship.”

“Are you going to become my boyfriend or not?”

“Yeah, pretty much. So…”

Otabek waited. Yuri just stared at him. “That was me asking, Yura.”

“Oh!” Yuri surged forward, throwing his arms around Otabek and knocking him over. “Yes.”


	6. Viktuuri - Love Is Alive and Here By Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor seems to have it all, but he doesn't have the one thing he really wants. He doesn't have someone to love. Jealousy over his siblings as he watches them fall in love eventually drives him to run away, where he meets Yuuri.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for AU Week Day 5: Merfolk

Nobody took it seriously when Viktor said he wasn’t happy. He was the oldest son of one of the most powerful kings of the sea, and therefore, he had it made. Wealth, beauty, brains, talent, power, the world was his oyster. Nobody bought the idea of there being something Viktor wanted that he didn’t have.

Viktor certainly had played along with that. He acted like a golden boy, a carefree prince, and he played the part so well he almost believed it himself. He lost himself in his studies and his music and in helping his father manage the northern seas.

When Georgi married Anya, Viktor stood up for his brother and celebrated with his family and friends and their guests and then cried himself to sleep. Georgi was only a year younger than him, but he was still younger, and Viktor felt like he should have been the first to marry. The next few weeks were difficult, but he got through them. After all, it was obvious how much Georgi loved Anya, and even if Viktor had his doubts about Anya’s love in return he kept them to himself.

Then Yakov brought the surface boy home, and Viktor could see what was happening. His youngest brother, Yuri, had found his mate. Oh, sure, they weren’t together yet, not like that. Yuri was only fourteen after all. Still, Yuri had been talking about the surface boy since Yakov had taught them both to swim in the human fashion, and now that he was here, they were inseparable. No one was getting between those two.

That was a lot harder to take, and Viktor retreated into himself. When Mila started dating Sergei, an athlete who was nowhere near good enough for her but who Mila seemed to really like, Viktor couldn’t stand it anymore. He ran away.

 

There was nowhere in Yakov’s kingdom he could go that he wouldn’t be constantly reminded of his failure as a person – or found and dragged home by Yakov or Mila or one of his brothers. He headed south. In Celestino’s kingdom, he had a better chance at hiding, and Celestino was on good terms with Yakov and wouldn’t jump to conclusions about an invasion. He managed to hide thoroughly for nearly a month before someone found him.

The boy who found him recognized him immediately. “Prince Viktor! What are you doing here?”

“Hiding.” Viktor put a finger to his lips. “Don’t tell anyone you saw me?”

“Your father’s really worried about you. He’s said that if anyone knows your whereabouts and doesn’t tell him, he’ll consider that an act of treason if you’re still in the north or a provocation to war if you’re somewhere else.”

Viktor rolled his eyes. “He’s ridiculous. He won’t actually do that. If you were King Celestino sheltering me at your court, maybe he would, but just not reporting that I’m living out here in an open area? Don’t worry. Your kingdom is safe.”

“I don’t know. I’m…” He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I have to tell my father about this.” He swam off before Viktor could stop him.

 

Viktor didn’t want to move on. He’d gotten comfortable where he was, and starting again somewhere else was just exhausting to think about. He probably had some time while word got to Celestino and from Celestino to Yakov, so he started preparing, but he dragged his fins.

It was therefore quite the surprise when he woke up the next morning to find Celestino in front of him. “Your majesty. Please, forgive my intrusion. It’s only me, I didn’t bring anyone else, and I’m here without my father’s knowledge.”

“I know. Come with me.”

“Where?”

“I’m taking you to my court. I’ve sent word to your father that you’re here, that you’re safe, and that you don’t want to go home and I intend to consider you an honored guest.”

Which meant that if Yakov showed up and tried to force Viktor to go home, that wasn’t considered just an act of provocation, it was a declaration of war. Viktor gathered his things and followed Celestino. “How did you find me so fast?”

“It wasn’t hard. My son told me exactly where you are.”

“Your son?”

“He was right.” Celestino shook his head. “I didn’t think there was any way you didn’t recognize him, but apparently…” Viktor waited for Celestino to explain. “The man who found you yesterday is my son Yuuri.”

Viktor gasped. So that’s why Yuuri was so insistent on telling his father! If Yuuri had been found hiding him, Yakov might well consider that a provocation. “In my defense, Yuuri’s the only one of your sons I’ve never met. Phichit and Guang Hong I’ve met, but not Yuuri. He was away when I came to visit.”

When they got to the court, Viktor sought out Yuuri. “I’m sorry, Yuuri.”

“I probably overreacted – your picture is everywhere, even down here, but I’m not really worth taking pictures of. I was visiting my sister and my birth parents when you came to visit, so we didn’t meet. There was no reason to expect you to recognize me.”

“I have seen your picture before, though. I just didn’t recognize you without your hair slicked back, and with your glasses on.”

“Oh, right. That one.” Yuuri blushed, and it was adorable. “Anyway, I should have told you who I was. I was just too surprised to see you to think straight.”

 

For the next few months, Viktor stayed with Celestino and, more importantly, with Yuuri. Viktor worked hard to make up for not recognizing the prince, and Yuuri, it seemed, was very forgiving. In Yuuri, Viktor thought he might have found what he’d been missing at home.

Celestino could only use the honored guest gambit for six months, though, and Viktor suspected that Yakov would count the first month he was hiding in Celestino’s kingdom as part of that. Celestino agreed, although he offered to fight Yakov on that.

“Celestino, why did you shelter me instead of making me go home? I know this has to have strained your relationship with Yakov.”

“It did, but don’t worry. We’ve been friends for long enough that as long as I truly treated you as an honored guest, Yakov wouldn’t force the issue, and when I send you home having improved from your depression, I think he’ll understand that you needed this.” Celestino poured Viktor a glass of wine, which Viktor accepted with confusion. “I did this for Yuuri. He’s always looked up to you, and when you went missing, he was devastated. I thought that perhaps if you got to know him, and he got to know you for who you really are, Yakov and I could talk about a marriage of alliance.”

“You want me to marry Yuuri?”

“Yes. I do. If the two of you hadn’t gotten along so well while you were here, I’d have dropped the idea and just sent you home when we ran out of time, but am I wrong in thinking that you would be interested?”

“Not at all! Yuuri is amazing and I love him and I’d have asked Yakov to look into this except it sounds like I don’t need to. Does Yuuri know you want us to marry?”

“No, I wasn’t going to get his hopes up until I’d talked to you.” Celestino summoned a fish to carry a message to Yuuri. “If you can convince him that you’re all for the idea, I’m not at all worried about him saying no.”

Yuuri didn’t take long to get there. “What’s going on?”

“We’ll be taking Viktor home at the end of the week.”

“O-oh.” Yuuri’s fins fluttered. “Can I come with you?”

“I did say we, Yuuri. You’re coming, so that you can be there when I ask Yakov for Viktor’s hand in marriage.”

“Um… what?” Yuuri’s fins shook harder. “Does Minako know about this?”

“We’ve discussed it, ye… Yuuri.” Celestino burst into laughter. “For you, not for me!”

“Oh!” Yuuri looked over to Viktor. “Do you want this?”

“Yes. If it were up to me, I’d skip going home or asking Dad’s permission and just stay here, but we should do this right. Dad will yell, but when he sees how much better I am, I think he’ll say yes.”


	7. Viktuuri - Love Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Celestino takes Viktor home and he and Yakov arrange the marriage between him and Yuuri.
> 
> Warning: minor background infidelity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for YOI Fantasy Week Day 4 - Aquamarine  
> ~Mermaid  
> ~Ocean  
> ~Serenity

Yakov was not happy when Viktor came home. Viktor hadn’t expected him to be. He swam up to his father. “I ran off on my own. I wasn’t taken or lured out. I went to Celestino’s kingdom because I knew you’d listen to reason instead of going to war if I was found, and Celestino told you as soon as he knew I was there. There’s no cause for war, so please, forgive and forget and let it go.”

Yakov scowled. “Celestino. Explain yourself. Why didn’t you send Viktor home right away?”

“Because if I sent him home and then asked you to send him back out, you wouldn’t have done it. If Yuuri had run off on me, I’d have beached him for years.”

“And I intend to. So why give Viktor a six-month vacation before?”

“Because I wanted to see what would happen if Viktor and Yuuri were around each other and allowed to interact. Over the last few months, I’ve seen exactly what I expected to see. I’m not here because I didn’t trust Viktor to come back on his own. I’m here because I think your son and mine are good candidates for that marriage of alliance our kingdoms have been talking about for generations, and I’d like to negotiate.”

Yakov was speechless, to Viktor’s amusement. “You know as well as I do you were scouting Phichit and Guang Hong to see if either would be good for Mila or Yuri. If Yuuri had been there, we might have married me off years ago!”

“You like Yuuri? You think you’d be good to spend your life with him, even if that means spending it away from home?”

“Yes.” Viktor took Yuuri’s hand. “You won’t believe me, but I love him.”

Yakov raised an eyebrow. “You love him. You’ve only known him six months.”

“Five. Yuuri’s the one who found me, but it wasn’t until a month after I left. Celestino and I just didn’t think you’d care that I wasn’t exactly…”

Yakov glared, and Viktor shut up. “Viktor, go to your room. After all this time away, you know salt’s built up and it needs cleaning.”

“Okay! Can Yuuri come with me?”

Yakov’s face turned purple. “You’d make a visiting prince do your punishment for you?”

“No, of course not. I’ll be the one doing all the work. But it’s easier to talk to Yuuri if he comes with me. If I’m not needed for the talks, then I doubt Yuuri is.” Although that might be part of the punishment, Viktor realized too late. After all, cleaning a room he might not even need for much longer was hardly equivalent to the years of beaching Yakov had threatened. Not getting any say in the marriage arrangements was much closer.

Celestino looked to Yuuri, and nodded. “If Yakov says it’s okay, you can go, Yuuri. I’ll send for you if we need you for something.”

Yakov agreed, earning a hug from Viktor before he swam off with Yuuri. They stopped so that Viktor could pick up cleaning supplies. Yuuri offered advice on things to get when Viktor hesitated. “It sounds like you know cleaning pretty well. You don’t get in nearly as much trouble as I do, so…”

“Before Celestino adopted me, I lived with my birth parents at the inn they run. I still go back once a year, and when I do, they don’t treat me like a prince, they treat me like their son. Which means getting put to work. If this marriage goes through, they’ll probably do the same thing to you when I bring you out to meet them.”

“Shouldn’t we have done that before…?”

“NO.” Yuuri blushed hard and swam away.

Viktor swam after him, following the aquamarine tail as it disappeared. He caught up to Yuuri in a dead end. “How did you know where my room was?” He opened the door and led the way in.

“I didn’t. I was just swimming.”

Viktor pulled out a chair and cleared it of salt before presenting it to Yuuri to sit in and watch. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass you, but if you still see your birth family regularly, why shouldn’t they be included in this?”

“Well, for one thing, they probably already have been. Celestino’s girlfriend, Minako? She and my mom grew up together. When Yu-Topia was struggling and about to float to the surface, Minako suggested sending me to Celestino to be adopted in exchange for royal support. It’s worked out well for everyone. Celestino said he’s talked to Minako about this, so Minako’s told Mom, and Mom would have told Dad and Mari. If they objected to me marrying you, Celestino already knows about it and decided to do this anyway.”

“So why the embarrassment?”

“Because… there was a reason Minako suggested me instead of Mari. Everyone back home is going to tease me forever once I show up with you.”

It took Viktor a minute to figure out what Yuuri was saying. When he did, he dropped the sponge and soap he was using in favor of throwing his arms around Yuuri. “That’s so sweet!”

Yuuri squirmed away and picked up a sponge. “This’ll go faster if I help.”

“If Dad finds out you helped, I’ll just be in more trouble.”

“Not if we tell him I helped so I could teach you how to do it up to Yu-Topia’s standards so that when I bring you there my birth parents don’t hate you.” Yuuri winked.

Viktor burst into laughter. “True! I think even he can understand the importance of making a good impression on one’s in-laws.”

Several hours later, there was a knock on the door. Viktor opened it to reveal a small blond merboy. “Yuri! Hello!”

“Yuri?”

“My little brother! Yuri, this is Yuuri, who I very much hope is my fiancé.”

Yuri rolled his eyes. “Dad sent me to get Yuuri to come look over the arrangements and make sure there’s nothing in there he’d consider a dealbreaker, and check to make sure you were cleaning. Or, if you’re finished, to bring you too.”

“Why you? Why not Georgi?” Georgi was the one most likely to be thorough in checking to make sure Viktor’s room was cleaned up – not that he was worried about it, thanks to Yuuri, it practically sparkled.

“Georgi’s still reeling from the shock, and Mila… Dad made her dump Sergei when he caught him cheating on her.”

“Idiot.” Viktor moved aside to let Yuri in. “What about Otabek?”

“Dad sent Beka to deal with Sergei. Explain a few things about how to behave when you’re dating someone. Dunno why he sent Beka, not like Beka’s ever dated anyone.”

Viktor bit his tongue. If things kept going the way they were, Otabek probably wouldn’t ever date anyone, he’d just wake up one morning and find that Yakov had gotten sick of waiting for them to figure it out and slapped rings on them and called it done. “So? Do I pass?”

“Yeah. Come on.”

Most of the terms, Viktor didn’t really care about. It was boring political stuff that only affected him if something drastic happened like going to war or the surfacers started causing problems for one of the kingdoms. The part that officially made Georgi Yakov’s heir instead of Viktor, that he was happy with. He would be useless as a king and he knew it. Georgi would have ended up doing most of the work for him anyway. They would be going to live with Celestino – and Mila, Yuri, and Otabek were coming along. “Why are they coming?” Viktor asked. Not that he minded, he was just curious.

“It will do both of my children good to see more of the ocean than just my kingdom. Otabek’s going because I cannot inflict the drama Yuri would cause about the separation on my good friend Celestino.”

“I’ll be going home right away to prepare to welcome the four of you properly. Yuuri, you can come with me or stay here and help Viktor. Your choice.”


	8. Milasara - Sparks Fly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mila's ex-boyfriend sucks, but life improves when she goes with her brothers down south.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for YOI Day 6: Mythological Creatures

Mila was a big girl. She was not going to go crying to Daddy because she got her heart broken. She was just going to sit in her room and get it all out, and then go inform her father that, as ordered, she and Sergei were no longer involved once she got to a point where she could do it calmly.

That was the plan. The plan didn’t survive contact with her brothers. Georgi took her straight to Yakov, who took one look at his daughter trying to hold the tears in and started shouting. “Yuri! Go get Otabek. I have a job for him.”

Mila swam into her father’s arms. “Papa, please, don’t overreact.”

“Overreact? How is this overreacting? Did Sergei even try to defend himself?”

Mila put her hands to her ears, as Yakov was still shouting at full volume. “He… he said that I’ve been so busy with the search for Viktor that…”

“I knew it!” Yakov hugged Mila closer. “I know it hurts, but anyone worthy of you would talk to you about it, and if you couldn’t resolve it, break up with you! Cheating is not acceptable behavior for someone dating my daughter!”

Otabek came in. “You have a job for me?”

“Yes. I need you to find Sergei and explain to him why he is forbidden to come anywhere near the royal palace or any member of the royal family.”

Otabek blinked and looked at Mila. “And why is that?”

“He cheated on Mila.”

Otabek recoiled. “I knew he was stupid, but I never realized he was that big an idiot. I’ll go have a word with him right away. I’m sorry, Mila.” He came over to offer her a comforting hand on the shoulder. 

Yuri scowled as Otabek swam away. “So what happens now?”

“I get back to negotiations with Celestino. Go check on Viktor. If he’s finished, bring him to the negotiation room. Georgi, I need you with me. Mila, go on, I know you want to be alone right now.” Yakov kissed the top of her head and sent her off.

 

Getting sent south had been annoying at the time. Leaving her friends and half her family behind sucked. She got over it quickly, though, making new friends and enjoying the warmer water. For all she saw of Viktor she might as well have left him behind too, he was that attached to his new husband, but she spent a great deal of time with Yuri and Otabek.

When she wasn’t with Yuri and Otabek, she was with Sara and Michele. They were awesome and fun, and Michele had been thrilled when Mila started coming around. A month after moving down, Michele came to talk to her. “Are you interested in women?”

“Huh?” Okay, so she was crushing on Sara. She wasn’t afraid of Michele – she might not be in her kingdom, but her brother was married to the crown prince and that gave her some protection. On the other hand, why poke the shark? Michele was known to get incredibly testy when he thought a man was showing too much interest in his sister.

“It’s a simple question, Mila. Do you like girls.”

“Yes? Guys, too. What about you?”

“Meh. Not interested. And before you say it, no, that’s not because I’m interested in Sara.”

Mila giggled. “See, that you have to clarify that? That’s a little creepy, Mickey.”

“Not my fault idiots have dirty minds and turn my brotherly love for my sister into something creepy and weird,” Michele grumbled. “Are you interested in Sara?”

“What if I am?”

“Then you should tell her. She’s had crushes before, but nothing like what I see when she looks at you. You’d be good for her, too.”

Mila’s jaw dropped. “Are you… giving me your blessing to hit on your sister?”

“Yes. Yes I am. I’d like to think you’d have eventually done it with or without my blessing, but if you have it, it’s that much less courage you have to work up, or that she does to say yes.” Michele smiled and hugged Mila. “Go talk to Sara.”

 

Mila found Sara tending her algae garden, and swam up behind her. “Boo!”

“Eek!” Sara shot up and then turned around. “Hi Mila!”

“So Mickey says I should hit on you. What do you think?”

Sara blinked. “I’m sorry, Mickey sent you over here to hit on me? And you’re going along with it because…”

“Because I wanted to anyway, because I like you and I think we’d be good together. So?”

Sara nearly drove Mila into the sand, she was so enthusiastic about hugging Mila. “Yes! Yes, you should hit on me. Or skip that and just kiss me.”

 

Mila was on her way home when she ran into Otabek. “Hey, Otabek! What are you doing out here? Where’s Yuri?”

“Oh, thank Poseidon. There you are. Do you have any idea what time it is?”

Mila shook her head. “I’m guessing I missed dinner?”

“Yeah. Celestino got worried – it’s usually safe enough around here, but if you’d gone to the surface…” Otabek smiled at her and pushed a stray lock of her hair into place. “Come on. Celestino will be so relieved to see you safe.”

“Why’s he so worried, anyway?”

“Haven’t you heard? Like three days ago Guang Hong went to the surface and got lost. He only made it back because a surfacer took the time to help him. Now Guang Hong has a surface friend. Celestino’s not happy about it, but Leo did save Guang Hong’s tail.”

“I hadn’t heard! Good for Guang Hong.” Mila and Otabek swam toward the castle, but Mila’s thoughts were back with Sara.

She was snapped back to the present by a school of fish swimming past her in a hurry. She looked at Otabek, who just pointed. Yuri was coming their way, and he looked pissed. “Where the hell have you been, Hagfish? Celestino’s losing his mind!”

“Hanging out with the Crispinos. I didn’t realize it would be such a big deal.”

“Well it is! They’ve even got fucking LEO looking for you, no idea why he’s even here right now, and he doesn’t even know his way around.” Yuri swam off with a sharp slap of his tail at Mila.

Otabek rolled his eyes. “I’m going after him. Coming?”

“Might as well.”

 

Yuri did not look happy when Otabek and Mila caught up to him. “I’m going to tell Celestino you found Mila. Sorry for interrupting the flirting. Now leave me alone.”

Otabek raised an eyebrow. “Flirting?”

“Yeah. You and Mila. Is that a thing, or was it just…”

Mila started giggling. “I lost track of time and worried everyone because Sara Crispino is my girlfriend now! Otabek and I are like siblings, you doof, there’s no flirting there. Don’t be so jealous, kiddo, you might end up making Otabek decide to go back to the surface!”

Otabek reached out and took Yuri’s hand. “I’m not going back to the surface, Yura. I’m not flirting with Mila, either. If I ever do start flirting with someone, you’ll be the first to know, I promise.”


End file.
